I'm Not Jealous!
by mousers
Summary: Romano helps his brother build a tower, but it doesn't go according to plan. Rated for Lovi's potty mouth.


Okay, I've been told that my Italian was off, even after someone from Italy corrected it for me. (I really can't do anything right, can I?) Can someone please clear this up for me, thank you in advance!

Dear Nima, you are far too kind.

* * *

Tight-lipped, Feliciano looked at the tower in front of them, then to his brother beside him. Romano's expression, he noticed, had now evolved beyond expectant, to bewildered, and he seemed to be slowly growing angrier, too.

His brow furrowed. "What...the...fuck," he breathed slowly, grip tightening around a hammer he held in his hands. Feliciano flinched unknowingly.

"Well," he reasoned, tilting himself to the right, still watching his fratello warily. "It looks great if you do this." He was right - it was still a very beautiful landmark, and it wasn't really anyone's fault that it was...

"It's freaking squint. You said we could build here, Feliciano! What the hell?! It's an eyesore!" He spun around, and, without time to cover his head, Feliciano yelped as Romano whacked it with the back of his hand, and then a little kick in the shins for good measure. "Idiot, idiot, idiot! I actually _worked on this!" _

"Ah! St-stop! I didn't know! I thought it would get better!" pleaded Feliciano, failing to notice that his brother had dropped the hammer, but in hindsight he would be very thankful indeed of that little detail.

"I warned you when- it- started- to- fall-!" Between every word, the older brother bounced another smack off of his sibling's thick skull.

"Fratello! Ah! Please!"

Romano hadn't been lying- he had worked on this tower. It was quite surprising that, when Feliciano asked for his help, he'd obliged. He seemed to be a little bored, what with all this "conquering" Spain had been doing. Anyway, their working together had led to plenty of hugging and thanking, arguing, violence, laughing, and... well, bonding, actually. They had worked on it for almost two years together ( although not on their own, obviously, or they never would have finished.)

The two brothers always had a lot of fights. But, Feliciano had thought one day, as Romano stood a few metres away from the construction site and held up his thumb, trying to see if the tower lined up and they were in fact, building it straight, it was like they were really brothers.

The North and South of one country, and not separated.

They were Italy.

... all that was swiftly crushed when one side sunk even deeper into the ground with the weight of the near-completed tower. But as Feliciano had said, it was nearly finished anyway, it would be best to put the last touches to it, and hope it went right. It didn't.

Feliciano yelled again after a particularly hard hit. "It's just... it's just different!" he defended, swatting Romano away and wiping the tears in his eyes. " And anyway... I didn't know it would fall over!"

"You don't know_anything!"_ spat Romano, picking up his tools again and storming off, followed by his brother skipping behind him, trying to keep up.

"But.... I think it looks good! I mean, people will remember it, right? Everyone will want to come to Pisa!"

There was a loud clatter as Romano dropped his equipment and spun around again, brows knitted in frustration. "Why would you want to draw attention to this dump?!"

Feliciano felt his lip stiffen and his fists clench. Being called an idiot he could take, but he wouldn't have people offend his beautiful country!

"It's in the North anyway," he said shortly, a foreign venom in his tone. "You don't even have to look at it if you don't want to!"

"Thank God!"

"If you're just jealous, then go home!" Feliciano pointed to what he hoped was the South, feeling his cheeks heat up.

Romano stood so they were face to face, visibly struggling to keep a hold of his tether. "Why the fuck would I be jealous of that... that... insult to Italy?!"

"Because we worked on it together and it's mine!" the younger of them spat. By now, he was angrier than he thought he could manage. "Roma Jii-chan built everything at your house!"

"And it looks a million times better!" shot Romano in return, swinging his hand around to hit Feliciano again.

In a strange fit of adrenaline, he dodged it, but didn't seem to notice.

"Then go there, then!"

Romano unfastened the fabric belt that had been draped around his waist for holding little pieces of equipment and threw it angrily on the ground. "Fine!"

He threw his hands up and fumed away, flouncing his way to the main road.

"Good!" choked Feliciano in reply, hoping only a little bit that his brother hadn't heard him, and he looked sadly back at his tower, feeling the guilt start to tug at his guts.

It didn't really matter what anyone else said ... he still liked it.

--

Feliciano smiled at the photograph he was holding. It showed his brother, his arms crossed with a crooked smile on his face, the coliseum lit in all its glory in the background behind him, illuminated in the city night. He turned it over and read, in Romano's scribbled hand, "Non sono comunque invidioso."

There was a similar photograph in a drawer somewhere in Romano's house that showed Feliciano standing with one hand parallel to a white leaning tower on a sunny day, as if he were huge, and standing beside it, holding it up. Written on the other side of this photograph, in less-rushed writing, were three simple words -

"Sì, lo sei."

... and a kiss, just to prove that they were still friends.

* * *

Non sono comunque invidioso - I'm still not jealous(envious) .

Sì, lo sei - Yes you are. (Thanks, StarsofYaoi ;D)

Nima asked me to write this and it's a fantastic fail (although it was a funny concept, you have to admit XD). I love reviews. I eat them and poop out stuff like this.

... but despite that, please leave me one! :D x


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